In the early hours of the afternoon on February 26th, LoveFilm subscribers received this e-mail labelled as important information about their subscriptions. The video streaming and rental service, which is owned by Amazon, would finally be handed over and placed into the hands of the online retail superpower.

Amazon decided to integrate LoveFilm with their Prime service, believing that many of their customers were already using both. It would put the two under one roof and therefore make things simpler and more straightforward.

The email was careful to describe it as ‘exciting upgrades’ as opposed to ‘changes’, but the news nonetheless prompted anxiety from both LoveFilm and Amazon Prime users. ‘What is going to be affected?’ ‘How much more is this going to cost?’ ‘What does it all mean?’ We take a look at the major questions customers have asked and explore what changes you can expect with Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Will It Cost More?

LoveFilm subscribers will not have to pay more. It remains £5.99 per month. You can choose to include the Prime extras for an extra £.58 per month though, giving you free 48 hour UK delivery and the ability to borrow books for your Kindle.

Customers who have both LoveFilm and Prime will be saving money as the services are now merged into one package. Two payments are now one.

However, standalone Prime members will see an enormous £30 increase in the service per year. It has gone up from £4.08 to £6.58 — a price hike of more than 60%. Prime members who have no interest in the online streaming service will rightly be annoyed by this news. Especially seeing as you cannot opt out of the LoveFilm service.

Will Amazon Prime Instant Video Have More Or Less Content?

Amazon Prime Instant Video will, at least for the moment, allow customers access to more or less the same amount of content that was available under LoveFilm Instant. Only 54 items have been removed including seasons of Whitechapel, This Is England 1988, Blue Murder, Prime Suspect and Pride And Prejudice. Customers midway through these shows will now have to pay.

What About The LoveFilm Postal Service?

LoveFilm’s postal service, which sends DVDs and Blu Rays straight to your letterbox, remains very popular even in the age of instant online streaming. Customers who continue to use it do not have to worry; the only thing that has changed is the name. The service will continue to run the same way as it did under Amazon Prime Instant Video. However, some customers have experienced a few technical issues with their rental lists including titles mysteriously disappearing in some cases.

What Devices Does Amazon Instant Prime Work On?

You can use Amazon Prime Instant Video on many devices, the full list of which can be found below. One notable omission is Android devices, which should not be surprising considering this is now an Amazon service.

Tablets And Smartphones

Kindle Fire HD

Apple iPad and iPad Mini

Apple iPhone (3GS and up)

Apple iPod Touch (3rd gen and up)

Consoles

Xbox 360 and Xbox One

PS3 and PS4

Wii and Wii U

Smart TVs

LG (2012 and up)

Samsung (2012 and up)

Sony (2010 and up)

Sony Home Cinema System (2010 and up)

Blu Ray Players

LG (2012 and up)

Samsung (2012 and up)

Sony (2010 and up)

But What Is The Biggest Problem With Amazon Prime Instant Video?

One look at the conversation on social media regarding LoveFilm and Amazon shows a very common trend: people hate the layout. LoveFilm’s website was user-friendly and simple to use, whereas Amazon Prime Instant Video is muddled and confusing. It’s difficult to find what you are looking for and on what service. Those who are already cautious about the change will hardly be comforted upon arriving at the new homepage.